Listing of some of the great CT birding spots. Connecticut has more than its share of great birders , but the one area of the state that receives less attention than it deserves is the northeast quarter. I'll define this area as anywhere east of the Connecticut River and North of Willimantic (Windham), although, of course, I may stretch the boundaries at any time.
2013 - I'm traveling more - to the SW so far, and I'll add some info about my adventures there.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Boston Hollow, Birds are still singing, Originally posted Sunday, July 8, 2012

I went to Boston Hollow today for the first time in about a week and was
surprised and pleased to find that a lot of birds are still singing. Of course
some have gone silent and many are singing less, with less enthusiasm or even
just call notes now. Perhaps the noisiest ones now are the Red-eyed Vireos.

At my first stop, when I arrived I heard a lot of chattering, which I Id'd
as a large flock of BC Chickadees, but it sounded like something was up. Sure
enough, after I looked around for a few minutes I spotted a Barred Owl staring
back at me from a branch about 50 feet away, in the center of a maelstrom of
angry Chickadees, Titmice, WB Nuthatches, etc. I don't know if it was me or the
birds, but after about 30 seconds the owl took off and flew a couple of hundred
feet to another branch, with all its little friends following close behind. When
that didn't work it gave up and flew off down the road.

The odd thing is, that's at least the 7th time this year I've seen that
owl, always within a couple of hundred yards of the same spot, but the first
time I've seen it being mobbed or even noticed. I suspect the birds are hyper
because of all the fledglings currently fluttering around the "Hollow." There is
no doubt this has been a great year for the nesters so far, and I see signs that
a lot are trying for a 2nd time. In fact I think a few may have already fledged
a 2nd batch.

While I'd been watching the "show" I was hearing one bird I shrugged off as
a Black-and-white Warbler, but I knew it didn't sound right. Once the action
died down I could still hear it and finally found it in the tops of some tulip
trees. To my surprise it was a Blackburnian Warbler, singing a song not quite
like any I've heard them sing before. As a bonus I got to watch it as it foraged
in bright sunlight for a good 5 or 10 minutes. A little bit later I heard a 2nd
Blackburnian, this time with a much more normal song. At the beginning of the
season I had trouble even finding one, and now I see/hear them quite
often.

I heard several Waterthushes today, but they were only "clucking" their
loud call notes, not a single song from either species.

I also heard 2 Winter Wrens and saw a third, and one of the singers either
has a totally new song or was not there till the middle of June. The song is
very different from any I heard earlier in the year. But the other bird I heard
also now sometimes sings a longer version of his formerly short song.

Another bird I'm hearing new song versions from is the Black-and-white
Warbler. In the spring their song was very standard and somewhat monotonous as
they squeaked their 2 notes back and forth. Some only sing quietly now, but I've
heard others with extended songs, sometimes with 2 or 3 parts and sometimes so
different I had to listen a minute to be sure that's what it was.

There are still a few Canada Warblers singing, sometimes cutting their song
short but other times getting excited and repeating it 2 or 3 times. A couple of
weeks ago I walked down the road a bit and heard a very loud and angry sounding
chip note practically right next to me. It was so loud I thought it was a
Waterthrush, and I was amazed when I realized it was a Canada, staying not more
than six or 8 feet away from me and flying frantically from one side of the road
to the other. I assume he had fledglings somewhere close by, but I was being
careful to stay in the middle of the road so as not to go near anything. I never
knowingly even heard a call like that out of a Canada, before or since.

I heard 2 birds this morning that I thought were Wood Thrushes, which I've
hardly heard in weeks now, but the songs were short and I'm not sure they were
not different thrush. Definitely not Hermit or Veery though.

Still quite a few Yellow Warblers singing and flying around, and I wonder
if they are trying again. Seems kind of late for them to be so obvious now.

I don't hear any flycatchers calling any more.

There was also a pair of BG Gnatcatchers chasing each other anound and
feeding together, just like 2 months ago. Could be juvies but I had a feeling it
was an adult pair.

Also, a juvie Towhee, looking like he was just out of the nest. Good thing
he had white wing patches or I might have wondered for a minute. It did have a
long tail and looked a little like a miniature Roadrunner. Gawky and awkward.
Actually I cut my trip a little short this morning, and never went down Barlow
Mill Road. Still ended up with a fair species list though, Ebird
follows: